Lerninhalte |
This class will look at the figure of the ghost and its cultural representation in the United States. We will begin by looking at the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, in which "spectral evidence" played a central role, then move to the nineteenth century to explore the incidents surrounding the Fox sisters and to examine the phenomenon of ghosts in early photographs. While these early examples are related to European-American cultures, we will also look at ghosts in Voodoo and Native American cultures as well as the Mexican Day of the Dead. The aim of this class (besides discussing the topic of ghosts) is to get an overview of United States history and to learn how to analyze different media such as photographs and movies but also events (such as haunted house entertainment offers) and non-fiction writing. Therefore, we will not only look at ghosts and their stories but at the contexts of their cultural representation in order to understand their appearance within frameworks of society's anxieties and moments of crisis. All material will be provided on Stud.IP. |